Meals

New federal standards launched in 2012 that require schools to offer healthier meals have led to increased fruit and vegetable consumption, according to a new study. The study, the first to examine school food consumption both before and after the standards went into effect, contradicts criticisms that the new standards have increased food waste. “There is a push from some organizations and lawmakers to weaken the new standards. We hope the findings, which show that students are consuming more fruits and vegetables, will discourage those efforts,” said the lead author.

Scientists may have found a helpful aid for those who struggle with keeping excess pounds off. If attacks of the munchies frequently descend upon you between meals, avocados may keep these weight-control villains away. A recent study shows this fruit can satisfy hunger pains and make people less likely to snack.

In a placebo-controlled study involving 17 non-asthmatic men (on average, 22 years of age), supplementation with fish oil (3000 mg/d) for a period of 3 weeks was found to protect against the increased airway inflammation induced by consuming a high-fat meal.

A regular eating pattern may protect adolescents from obesity, according to a Finnish population-based study with more than 4,000 participants. When eating five meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks – a day, even those with a genetic predisposition to obesity had no higher body mass index (BMI) than their controls.

A regular eating pattern may protect adolescents from obesity, according to a Finnish population-based study with more than 4,000 participants. When eating five meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks – a day, even those with a genetic predisposition to obesity had no higher body mass index (BMI) than their controls.

Food enthusiasts interested in sustainable farm practices may soon have a new meat alternative: insects. Beetle larvae (called mealworms) farms produce more edible protein than traditional farms for chicken, pork, beef or milk, for the same amount of land used, according to research published December 19 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dennis Oonincx and colleagues from the University of Wageningen, Netherlands.

A UCSF study suggests patients with chronic pain may experience greater relief if their doctors add cannabinoids the main ingredient in cannabis or medical marijuana to an opiates-only treatment. The findings, from a small-scale study, also suggest that a combined therapy could result in reduced opiate dosages.